Inmarsat's new Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) has been launched in China to allow people living in rural areas access to online resources.

With BGAN terminals costing less than CNY50,000 and weighing less than a kilogram, the China Transport Telecommunications Centre hopes that the ease of using the device will open more opportunities for poeple in remote regions.

BGAN offers IP data speeds of up to 492kbps, with the option of guaranteed data rates up to 256kbps. The service is designed for mobile users who want dependable, secure broadband access when working in locations with an unreliable or non-existent telecoms infrastructure.

BGAN enables users to access their corporate network via a secure VPN connection, use email and other office applications, browse the internet, send large file attachments, stream video or audio – and make a phone call at the same time. It also supports a range of encryption standards for secure communications.